ACT ONE ━━ CHAPTER ONE
The Lord's Always Listening

     TO BE QUITE CLEAR—Bernadette Berkeley absolutely loathed Coal Creek, West Virginia. The small town was run-down, dirty, and she could've sworn to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph that it got uglier as the weeks went on.

     Moving there was not her decision, but instead her husband's since "her" aggressive spending habits broke the bank. Thus they needed to downsize from their large, inherited plantation home to the modest, one-story rancher that was smaller than the horse stables on Desmond's parents' property.

     Betty wanted to just ask for another loan from her parents-in-law (more so mooch off them) but for once in their lives, the elderly Berkeley couple finally grew backbones and denied their son's (daughter-in-law's) request. Make no mistake, they loved their boy, but he and his wife had so many unpaid loans to a variety of people that they were actually doing the two middle-aged folks a favor.

     So, they moved to nowheresville and had to, for once in their lives, figure out how to deal with their dwindling financials. Originally, Betty had thought her husband was overreacting and having some sort of mid-life crisis in uprooting their family to some odd town that was an hour away from the nearest shopping mall, but since she didn't even step foot near their bills, she had no clue how bad it had actually gotten.

     So now Desmond had to work on paving roads early in the mornings before going to his nine-to-five office job afterwards, and Betty was now stuck with—

     (She couldn't say it. It made her nauseous)

     —cleaning houses and doing others' laundry for a quick buck or two, although she was very particular about which families she'd be working—doing favors for. Only those so far down the totem pole that they were beneath it were eligible for Betty Berkeley's services, only so that they wouldn't run their mouths to the more socially-acceptable families in town and, if she was ever caught, could cover herself by saying she was "helping out the less fortunate."

     In order to aid in keeping her secret, Betty woke up before the roosters crowed to visit her neighbors' homes while her husband went to work with the road crew. She liked to minimize the amount of time staying in her clients' houses, so if she was just doing their laundry, she'd take it and wash it within the comfort—if she could even call it that—of her own home.

     That's what she was often doing while her daughter, Adaline, got ready for school in her room, now having to make new outfit combinations with the smaller rotation of clothes she had to choose from. After she finally settled on an acceptable outfit for her mother's standards, she opened the ceramic jewelry box on her vanity, only to see that not only was a large amount of her jewelry gone, but so was the necklace she had worn religiously every day since her grandfather gifted it to her for her eighth birthday.

     She looked around her room everywhere, slightly panicking since that was the only thing she had left from her grandpa, and eventually accepted that it wasn't in her room so decided to try her hand in her parents'. Adaline thought maybe her mother had taken the necklace to polish it or something, but again, it was nowhere to be seen among the mass of diamond jewelry in her mother's collection.

     "Momma!" Adaline called out as she made her way through the house (although Betty would frequently make the comment that Addy needn't come to her, since the house was so small they could each other even if they were at completely different ends of the "shed") and into the kitchen, where Betty was folding another family's laundry. "Have you seen my necklace? The one Papa gave me?"

     Her mother didn't even spare a glance, "Oh that ol' thing? Yeah, I sold it off to those nice men down the street." She looked over at Adaline, giddy, "Did you know it was solid gold? I got quite the deal on it, hun!"

     Adaline looked at her mother in shock, "What? Momma—Papa gave that to me! I wear it every day!" Betty had also taken upon itself to look through her family's belongings to see what could be sold or pawned, and surprisingly found quite a fair bit of things around their home...

     ...all belonging to her husband and daughter, of course. She couldn't possibly give up any of her gold or diamond jewelry! Or her expensive clothes or handbags—oh, good heavens, no! However...Betty did have a tendency to sell things around the house without informing either of her other family members, which was a whole nother problem in its own sense.

     "Oh, don't worry, hun, I've got somethin' right here. Um..." Betty stood up and shuffled through her designer leather purse until she managed to pull out a cheap crucifix necklace. She held it out towards her daughter, "Looky here, Adaline, just as good as yours." Adaline took the necklace into her hands, noticing that instead of the gold crucifix with the diamond gem beside it hanging off a matching golden chain, her mother had replaced it with a cheap look alike that she probably bought from the same pawn shop, this time from the discount counter.

     "See? They look the same. Won't even notice a difference." Betty didn't think anything of the fact that Adaline now no longer had the necklace that practically became an extension of herself, a gift from Betty's own father to her daughter, and was supposed to forget about all the sentimental value that necklace had to her.

     Adaline looked up at her mother who had resumed folding the freshly-washed clothes, "Momma, that necklace—"

     Betty shook her head condescendingly, "It's just a necklace, hun. And I even went and got you another one. Besides, it don't matter what it's made of. All that matters is it shows your devotion to the Lord."

     Except—and Betty would never admit this—she actually did care what it looked like because if it were made of gold and diamonds, everyone would continue the believe the charade that the Berkeleys were Those Rich Ones who were forever humble through their faith.

     She nodded her head towards the back of the rancher, where the bedrooms and bathroom were, "Now stop pitchin' a fit and go on and get ready for school, and I'll drive you over."

     Knowing her mother was more stubborn than a bull, Adaline decided to end the conversation and go back into her room, slamming the door rather loudly that made her mother scold her from her spot in the kitchen. Frankly, she had no idea what to do. Should she go to the pawn shop and buy her necklace back? She didn't have any money, she'd have to somehow take some money out of her college fund—at least, that's assuming her parents hadn't already tapped into it (they had and there was barely anything left in it now)—or just give up the notion altogether. She didn't want to do the latter, but with her current situation, she didn't really have a choice.

     Her neck felt bare without anything on it so she put the cheap crucifix on anyway before grabbing her short stack of books she brought home with her the day before, and then going back into the kitchen. Betty handed her the brown paper bag with her lunch in it before they drove to school, only after Betty fixed her hair in the sun visor mirror.

     When they arrived at Coal Creek High School, Betty had pulled the car up beside the curb where Elijah Taylor was with his signature charming smile and his hands nonchalantly in the pockets of his varsity jacket, waiting for Adaline.

     Betty excitedly cranked down her window as she smiled at the boy, "Fine morning, isn't it, Elijah?" Adaline sighed as she got out the car, her mother's airhead giggles at whatever Eli told her echoing inside the vehicle. When she came around the car and stood next to him, ready to go inside, Betty cooed at the two, "Aw, what a pair you two make!"

     Adaline's face flushed, "Momma, we're not—"

     "It's all your daughter, Mrs. Berkeley."

     Betty felt as flattered as if this nineteen-year-old boy (he'd been held back a year) had complimented her as she giggled again, "Oh, just 'Betty,' sweetheart. 'Mrs. Berkeley' makes me feel so old!"

     She began laughing again as Eli and Adaline both joined in awkwardly until Adaline nodded her head, "Okay, Momma, I'll see you later."

     Betty nodded in response, "Alright then. Bye, you two." Adaline gave her mother a tight-lipped smile as she drove off before turning towards Eli who was smiling amusedly.

     They turned and began walking to the building, "I'm so sorry 'bout her."

     He laughed as he opened the door for her, "It's alright. She means well."

     Adaline laughed to herself, that's what you think, "Yeah, guess so." She looked over towards him then asked, "See you later then?"

     Eli nodded back, grinning as he saw his posse walking down the hall towards them, "Yeah. See ya later, Addy." She smiled in farewell before turning around, jokingly narrowing her eyes at Tommy Matson, Gene Dinwoodie, and Orville Buckman as they all chorused, "See ya later, Addy," in a singsong tone, mocking Eli.

     After she walked far along enough in the hallway, now talking to some group of girls from the better-off families in Coal Creek, and the boys were out of her earshot, Tommy hit Eli on the shoulder, "C'mon, man, you fuck her yet or what?"

     He shook his head, "Nah, not yet. She ain't easy like none of those you've got every weekend."

     The three boys laughed at Tommy who didn't seem fazed in the slightest, just shrugging in response, "Y'all laugh but at least I'm the one actually getting laid." They began walking down the hallway. Tommy clapped his friend's shoulder, "But, hey now, Eli, at least you won't have to bag sweet ol' Addy."

     The gang laughed as they continued down the hall, Tommy stopping for a second as they passed by Arvin Russell who had heard what they said and gripped his locker door tightly at the sound of his bullies' voices. Tommy slid past Eli and laughed, "Got a problem, Russell?" Arvin didn't react and Tommy shoved him forward into his locker, "That's what I thought." Arvin stayed still until the four walked away, then turning his head to face them as they rounded the corner and went out of sight.

     Anger boiled inside of him, but he wouldn't act on it now.

     No, he'd wait until the right time. And they'd deserve what was coming for them.

     AFTER SCHOOL, Arvin was parked round back, waiting for Lenora as per usual. His head snapped towards the back doors when he heard them open, but it wasn't his sister; instead out walked Tommy, Gene, Orville, and Eli with Adaline by his side. Arvin kept his head down in his car to avoid confrontation, but could hear the group laughing about whatever bullshit the guys had said that time.

     Adaline rolled her eyes as she listened to Gene's empty threats about some freshman who was taking too long in the lunch line. Beside her, Eli looked down at her before noticing something on her neck, and then brushed her hair away to see that underneath her necklace, her skin had been faintly stained green.

     "Addy, there's somethin' on your neck," he told her. She jutted her head back to try and see what he was looking at, and inaudibly gasped at the mark the necklace had made.

     She bashfully placed a hand over her necklace as she readjusted her hair before the other boys got a look, laughing it off, "Oh, I couldn't find my necklace nowhere this mornin' so I thought this hunk of junk would do." She chuckled again, "Should've known it'd make my skin all weird." Arvin's eyes flicked up from underneath the brim of his tattered navy baseball cap as he watched the guys buy her lie, but he didn't.

     He understood her family's financial situation quite well since it was her mother coming over to their house before dawn to gather their laundry to wash or to clean their home on her previously-privileged hands and knees. Arvin's grandma didn't need the help in the slightest; Emma Russell was an independent woman who'd managed to live this long, and everyone knew she would still be kicking even a few decades or so later. However, among her many skills was her ability to read people.

     Although she didn't need the help, and she could barely afford it as is, she knew a face in need when she saw one. And that early Sunday morning before Mass that Betty Berkeley showed up on the Russells' doorstep nearly begging for work, Emma knew this was the Lord's path for Betty to become humbled, and so she did as any other fine Christian would do and gave her a job. It paid next to nothing, but it was a job and gave the Berkeleys some extra funds a week.

     He heard Adaline say that her momma's car had pulled into the parking lot and she pecked Eli's cheek goodbye before walking over to the same Impala Betty drove that morning. The woman characteristically waved to all the boys who smiled and waved back as if they were as innocent as a church youth group, dropping the facade as soon as the car left the school's grounds.

     "She's a looker for damn sure," Tommy told his friends, "I wouldn't mind gettin' it on with her." Arvin tightened his grip on the bottom of the steering wheel. Tommy looked over at Eli, "Addy, I meant, although," he chuckled, "her mama's not too bad lookin' either."

     They laughed before Gene told Eli, "Good luck with her, that cross's practically glued to her neck. You could get her on her knees but all she'd be doin' is prayin'."

     "Yeah, probably'll have to give her a little something to take the edge off, y'know..." Orville suggested.

     Eli shook his head, "No...I've got it all planned out. I'll take her out on the weekend for a nice, long drive..." He smirked, "She just won't be lookin' out the windows for too long though, if you catch my drift." Arvin's grip on the wheel was so tight his knuckles began turning white as the boys' laughter rebounded against the brick school building. He barely knew Adaline, except that she was in a few of his classes but stayed quiet for the most part—like him—but Arvin didn't need to know the girl to know that she shouldn't've been talked about this behind her back.

     As he watched them walk off to their own cars, his body flinched to the left as if he was going to open his car door and go after them, but then the passenger door opened and Lenora, whom he never even saw leave the school, came in. She smiled contently in greeting, and he was relieved to see that she had come out unbothered for once.

     If only the rest of the day could've gone as smoothly.

making johnny an ass breaks my heart but yknow ... it's gotta be done. anyway IT'S HERE!!! & I AM SO SO EXCITED FOR IT!!! this chapter was originally going to be SOO much longer but it had gotten to a point where it was too long (6000+ words oops) soo i decided to split it into two lol. good news is the second chapter is basically already finished! & yes, shit will already be hitting the fan in the next chapter 🥰

oh & i'm not from the south so i literally have NO clue how well i'm portraying their accent. like idk if it's too much, not enough, ok, so cringey it makes you want to vomit, idk tell me any thoughts & constructive criticism is always appreciated bc i have no idea what i'm doing!!!1!1111!!!

ok that's it. i'm so excited for this i can barely handle myself ok bye ily all